In the present document, although the embodiment described below in detail relates to an electric vehicle that is a tram, the invention is not limited to this particular type of electric vehicle, but is applicable to all types of electric vehicles, irrespective of whether they are guided, such as subways, trucks, automobiles, buses, etc.
Different systems are known for powering an electric vehicle in order to supply it with electricity, either used directly through propulsion means of the vehicle, or stored in energy storage means of the vehicle.
Dynamic recharging systems are thus known that make it possible to power the electric vehicle when it moves. For a vehicle such as a tram, the example of such a dynamic system consists of a power supply system through the roof, for example of the catenary type. For a vehicle such as a car, roadways have been proposed incorporating a conductive track, brought to a power supply potential. The car includes means for capturing the current in contact with the conductive track throughout the movement of the vehicle.
Also known are static recharging systems, which make it possible to recharge energy storage means of the vehicle when the latter is stopped.
If the stop is extended, reference will be made to a fixed recharging system. For the case of an electric car, this for example involves parking the vehicle in a specific parking place located near a power terminal connected to the sector. Using a simple power cable provided on the car and equipped with an appropriate connector, the energy storage means of the car are electrically connected to the terminal to be recharged there. With these stationary systems, the recharging times are long: several hours for complete recharging of the batteries of a light vehicle, such as a passenger car. The vehicle is consequently unavailable for several hours. It is therefore stopped during recharging, in that its engine is off and it is not in immediate working condition. The supply powers provided by such stationary systems are relatively low, since the energy needed to recharge the vehicle is captured during a long recharging time.
If the stop is short, approximately several tens of seconds, reference will be made to a stationary recharging system. Such a system is able to transfer, from the ground toward the electric vehicle, a relatively significant power, compared to the dynamic systems or fixed static systems. The recharging being quick and the stop being short, the vehicle stays in an operating condition: its speed is null, but it is ready to accelerate immediately to leave the electric current capture position.
Among stationary systems, induction recharging systems are known. The vehicle is provided with an armature that is placed, when the car arrives in a capture location, over a winding, provided below the surface of the ground. The magnetic flux generated by the winding is then able to generate, in the armature, a current making it possible to recharge the batteries of the vehicle.
However, such induction stationary recharging systems do not make it possible to provide sufficient power to recharge a heavy electric vehicle, such as a tram, a truck, etc., or to guarantee a short stop time for complete recharging of the energy storage means of a light vehicle.
Furthermore, induction systems create significant magnetic fields near the vehicle during the recharging. The health effects of magnetic fields are not yet well known.